1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a scroll compressor, and particularly to the layout position of a balancer for balancing a centrifugal force generated by an eccentric shaft portion of a rotating shaft and an orbiting scroll, and to a lubricating oil passage extending toward a needle bearing for eccentrically driving a hub portion of the orbiting scroll. In addition, the present invention relates to a scroll compressor used in connected with an engine, and particularly to an oil passage for connection between the exterior of the scroll compressor and a central oil passage formed in a rotating shaft.
2. Description of Background Art
A configuration wherein a needle bearing for supporting a hub portion of an orbiting scroll is disposed at a central portion of a rotating shaft in a scroll compressor, and balancers are disposed on both sides of the needle bearing are disclosed, for example, in Japanese Patent Laid-open No. 2002-89473 (FIG. 1). In this configuration, the balancers are provided on the inside of the orbiting scroll, so that they are located close to the rotating shaft and the balancers are enlarged in size in the axial direction. With this configuration, the formation of an oil passage or passages is complicated in the case of attempting to externally supply the needle bearing with a lubricating oil.
An example of an oil passage for connection between the exterior of a scroll compressor having a rotating shaft set vertical and a central oil passage formed in the rotating shaft is shown, for example, in Japanese Patent Laid-open No. Hei 7-54784 (FIG. 1). However, the scroll compressor pertaining to the present invention is a scroll compressor having a horizontal rotating shaft which is used in connection with an engine having a horizontal crankshaft. Therefore, an oil passage applied to a vertical rotating shaft as in the above-mentioned document cannot be adopted in the scroll compressor pertaining to the present invention.
There is a need to provide a simple structure by which an oil passage for externally supplying a lubricating oil to each bearing inside a scroll compressor can be provided without complicating the shape of the scroll compressor.